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The Kentucky distilling landscape has changed quite a bit over the past decade as new distilleries have opened their doors, and some of them are giving the legacy operations a run for their money. Leading the charge is New Riff, a distillery that has only been around for a little more than a decade but releases whiskey that can stand with the best from the Bluegrass State. A few days ago, it announced that it was expanding its single-barrel program with a unique rye whiskey made from malted rye grain.

In 2013 by Liquor retailer Ken Lewis and partners founded New Riff in Newport, located in northern Kentucky just across the river from Ohio. The focus of the distillery has been on releasing mostly bottled-in-bond whiskey, meaning the liquid is at least 4 years old, bottled at exactly 100 proof, and the product of one distillery and one distilling season. That’s a marker of quality that can be hard for a new distillery to establish because of the time it has to wait before bottling its whiskey, and in fact the first in-house produced whiskey didn’t arrive until 2018 (New Riff released sourced whiskey prior to this year). Today the lineup includes bourbon made from a mashbill of 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye, and 5 percent malted barley; and rye made from a mashbill of 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley.

That latter mashbill is likely familiar to anyone who has ever drank rye produced at MGP in Indiana (although many other distilleries use it today as well), but the rye made at New Riff is very different from the ones made at MGP. In addition to some whiskeys made from heirloom grain varietals and one of the best American single malts on the market, the distillery also makes a Malted Rye that is made from a mashbill of 100 percent malted rye grain (there’s also a terrific version that is finished in sherry casks that we reviewed recently). This whiskey, aged for six years and bottled at cask strength, is now part of New Riff’s single barrel program, which also includes 6-year-old bourbon that is only available to purchase by the barrel, and a 4-year-old bourbon and a 6-year-old rye that can be purchased in quantities starting at a minimum of 90 bottles.

“Our Single Barrel Malted Rye showcases the whiskey in its purest form,” said master distiller Brian Sprance in a statement. “Crafted from 100 percent malted rye, a rare style in today’s whiskey market, each barrel offers its own distinct flavor profile, with bold fruit character balanced by soft caramel undertones that let the whiskey speak for itself. This release is an exciting opportunity to experience New Riff Malted Rye at barrel proof, fully unblended and expressive of its individual character.”

If you’re interested in picking a barrel, you can visit the New Riff website to find out more. And the rest of the lineup, including a few single barrels, are available to purchase at websites like ReserveBar now.